With free entry, the festival brings together confectioners and producers from across Portugal, giving visitors the chance to discover traditional convent sweets alongside regional products including honey, jams, liqueurs and medronho.

Convent sweets are among Portugal's oldest culinary traditions, with many recipes dating back hundreds of years. Originally created in monasteries and convents, these rich desserts are known for their generous use of egg yolks, almonds and sugar, and many of the recipes have been carefully preserved through the generations.

Over the five-day event, visitors can sample a wide variety of traditional pastries, meet the producers behind them and enjoy a programme of live entertainment in the historic surroundings of the Convento de São José Cultural Centre.

The festival has become one of Lagoa's best-known summer events, attracting both locals and visitors looking to experience a different side of Portuguese gastronomy beyond the country's famous pastéis de nata.

The 22nd Mostra do Doce Conventual runs from 29 July to 2 August at the Convento de São José in Lagoa, with free admission throughout the event.